Seismic Activity in/around Belgium in 2024
In 2024, 141 earthquakes were located by the Royal Observatory of Belgium in or near Belgium.
In 2024, 141 natural earthquakes occurred in a zone between 1° and 8°E longitude and 49° and 52°N latitude (Figure 1). On Belgian territory, 42 natural earthquakes occurred. The largest earthquake occurred on 12 April 2024 in Maaseik and had a local magnitude of 1.8. It was not felt by the local population. The 2024 catalogue of the Royal Observatory of Belgium (ROB) is complete for natural earthquakes with a magnitude ML larger than 1.0. Events with magnitudes lower than 1.0 were also routinely detected where the Belgian seismic network is denser.
During the same period, the ROB also measured one induced event in Germany, 304 quarry blasts and 10 explosions offshore linked to controlled explosions of WW1 and WW2 bombs by the Belgian, Dutch or French Armies. In Belgium, none of the induced (man-made) earthquakes were large enough to be measured by the Belgian Seismic Network maintained by the Royal Observatory of Belgium.
The ROB also participated in some public events such as music and science festivals.
In comparison, last year in 2023, 120 earthquakes occurred in and around Belgium.
Figure 1: Events recorded in 2024 by the Belgian Seismic Network of the Royal Observatory of Belgium
Website: https://seismologie.be/en